My comrade
by AngelKissesAndLoveBites
Summary: Rose managed to save Dimitri in the caves. Join them as together they face their life together. with Rose about to graduate and Dimitri's family coming to visit, things may just get complicated.
1. Chapter 1

**Two new stories and one update in one day? I'm on a roll! I know this has been done before, but I really wanted to have a crack at it cause I can't seem to get it out of my head!**

**Mason is alive. Ivan is alive. And so is Lissa's family, but Rose is still bonded to her, let your imagination run wild on how :)**

* * *

One.

Rose POV

I picked at the tray of chips in front of me, swirling one in the tub of gravy accompanying them on the ghastly red plastic tray the academy cafeteria provided. It had been three weeks since the attack on the school, they had continued field experience up until a week ago, making it extremely hard for me to sneak around to see Dimitri, it had been a lonely two weeks, only being able to see him on my off days, they where the days I had to go and sit in Deirdre's office and attempt to make sense of her words until the timer would go off, and the rest of the day would be mine, whilst normally I would spend the rest of the day with Lissa and the gang, after my sessions I would be cranky and spend the day beating up dummy's and the Guardians until Dimitri's shifts where over and I could sneak off to the cabin, which we had stocked with various things we would need during our time there.

The guilt had been eating at me, every day I had to sit with my friends and pretend that I was in no way having an illicit love affair with my gorgeous older mentor, the same mentor who was my best friends Guardian, I felt as though I was gambling with her life every time I stepped into Dimitri's embrace. I had also had to endure Adrian and Mason's constant onslaught of flirtations and bad pick up lines.

Mason had acted weird ever since he awoke from his two and a half month-long coma a month ago, I could have sworn that Isaiah had snapped his neck, I remembered frantically searching for a pulse on his cold neck, only to come up empty-handed, but once the Guardians had shown up and dragged a distraught Adrian in their wake, they had suspected that Isaiah had knocked him out, and compelled me to see otherwise.

"Are you okay, Rose? You've been swirling that chip for the past ten minutes now" Lissa asked, concern and amusement painting her features. Another wave of guilt thrashed threw me, Liss was my best friend, my sister even, and I still hadn't told her about my relationship with Dimitri, it had almost been a month since we had given into our feelings, and she was still oblivious to my feelings for him, let alone that he held the same feelings for me.

"Yeah... I'm fine" I lied

"No you're not, you've been quiet for weeks, at first I thought that it was your way of grieving after the attack, but it has been three weeks, so it has to be something else, tell me what's wrong" we had attracted the eyes of everyone at the table, I took a deep breath.

"Meet me in my room after training" she nodded and turned her attention back over to Mia, who looked slightly annoyed about their discussion about the upcoming Macy's sale. Sighing, I checked the time and decided to head over to the gym, although practice didn't start for another forty minutes.

"Let me walk you to the gym, Little Dhampir" Adrian offered me his elbow as I raised from the table, I knocked it aside and continued towards the door, with him walking beside me. Once we where safely outside the building and walking over to the gym Adrian stopped walking and took my arm.

"Rose, do you have a minute?" he said, voice serious.

"Some things different with you, I've tried to put my finger on it for the past three weeks, Lissa has seen something different, but not what I've seen, I didn't know what it was at first, but then I saw you next to Belikov the other day and his aura was the same as yours" shit. This wasn't good, he already knew about my relationship with him, and I knew that he wouldn't tell anyone about what he had discovered.

"You slept with him, didn't you?"

"Damn it Rose! What where you thinking? Honestly?!" he exclaimed when I didn't answer

"I love him Adrian, I thought you knew that?"

"I do know that Rose, but he's older than you, he should have known better, if this gets out then he could get in some serious trouble."

"I know that! Why can't you be happy for me?" I asked in a small voice

"I am Rose, you know I am, I am ecstatic that you found the right guy for you, I am happy that Belikov is finally moving on from that fight he and Ivan had, hell, he is starting to be thankful for it, because if they hadn't then he never would have taken the job here and found you, and I want you to know that if things go south with Lissa tonight, I want you to come and find me, okay? And I'll go and talk to her" tears threatened my eyes

"Thank you, Adrian" I choked out.

Dimitri was already starting our warm up stretches when I arrived at the gym surprisingly on time. Back when we first started these trainings, he would stand there and watch me suffer, as though he was assessing how much he could make me suffer before I snapped, but after giving into our feelings he begun to always run my laps with me.

"Roza, stop." He said with authority, holding my clenched fist from punching a hole through the dummy I was currently assaulting.

"Whats wrong?" He asked as he led me towards the mats piled up against the back wall, we sat with our backs against the wall, and his arm snaked around my waist.

"I'm telling Lissa tonight… about us." He looked at me.

"Why are you worried?"

"I'm scared that she'll tell me that its wrong, I remember how she reacted to those two Dhampir's who ran from their duties to be with each other last November."

"She's your best friend Roza. I'm sure that she'll understand and be happy that you're happy." He looked away, guilt covering his face. I could understand where the guilt was coming from, he thought that by being with him he was taking opportunities away from me.

"Comrade… I knew what I was getting into that night in the cabin, and I don't regret it. I love you, nothing will change that"

"I love you too" he whispered, resting his fore head on mine.

I paced my room, hair damp from the shower Dimitri had let me take before practice finished, a rare occurrence for him, even rarer where the times where he joined me, it was a break in self-control, but he knew that I needed to be comforted and gladly took up the job.

"Hey." I spun around from my daydream of watching Dimitri do his rounds around the Dhampir dorms to see Lissa standing there watching me, placing her spare key back in her pocket, I had forgotten I had given her that, she and Dimitri both had one.

"Please don't hate me." I said as I joined her on my bed.

"Rose, you're starting to scare me."

"I just… I can't have you hating me, but you probably will after tonight. I've kept a huge secret from you Liss, like 'several people could be sent to jail' big. I've wanted to tell you for months, but I've been too scared of your reaction and chicken out at the last-minute. I don't want to lose you…" I trailed off, feeling as though I was in need of a paper bag to stop me from hyper ventilating.

"How long have you been keeping this 'secret' locked up?"

"Officially or not?"

"Both."

"Officially three weeks,"

"And the other?"

"Since we came back." She studied the air around me, reading my aura.

"You can tell me, I'll still be here for you, I'm sorry I haven't been that much of a friend lately, I've been too caught up in Christian and healing people from the attack to notice that you where struggling, but I'm here now."

"I've been seeing someone." Her mouth widened into a little 'o'. "We've had feelings for each other since we came back, but we didn't act on out feelings until three weeks ago."

"When you said that your secret was 'go to jail' bad, I wasn't expecting this" she half joked, I shot her a look.

"He's older than me." That shut her up.

"How older?"

"He's twenty-four and a Dhampir."

"I can see why that's bad, but why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it would be putting you in danger."

"I don't understand Rose. How could your relationship be putting me in danger?"

"Because we've let ourselves love each other, so if strigoi comes we'll throw ourselves in front of each other, leaving you exposed." A million things ran through her head, she was confused, the only other Dhampir that would throw themselves in front of her was Guardian Belikov, suddenly it clicked, she recalled the way I had changed since coming back to the academy, how Guardian Belikov was the only Guardian here I respected, how he could calm me down from a darkness attack, something she, even as my bond mate could just do.

"Wait-Guardian Belikov? You're with your teacher?!"

"Technically he's my mentor, not teacher."

"Woah. It's hard to imagine him with a social life, he just seems so stoic." I smiled. She wasn't angry.

"He is usually, but he's similar to me in a way, he likes sarcasm and joking around. And he loves food just as much as I do." She laughed.

"Does it show in your auras? Your feelings for each other?"

"Yeah, that's how Adrian found out."

"Adrian knows?"

"Yeah, we walked into some pretty intense fights between Dimitri and I back at the ski lodge."

"Why where you fighting?"

"About our complicated relationship, this was when Mason and I where dating, and he was contemplating being with Tasha. So it was pretty intense."

We dropped the subject after that, instead staying up until 2am gossiping, I awoke to my alarm blaring static beeps, the small neon green light indicating that I had only been asleep for an hour. Brilliant.

I reached the gym in record time, attempting not to wake Lissa, and for once was on time. With my trials approaching, Dimitri had decided we needed more time in our practices, thus morning training starting at 3:30 and our afternoon ending at 9.

"Are you okay, Roza?" Dimitri asked, pausing his stretches and examining the bags under my eyes.

"I'm fine Comrade, just a little tired." He nodded and led me out towards the track.

"Shit!" My knees scraped along the rough surface of the track, Dimitri's face floating in front of me.

"Rose! Are you okay?!"

"Which one of you is asking that?" He swore and picked me up.

"Whoa Comrade, the world may be swimming but I am 99% sure that the gym is that way." I said pointing behind me, another wave of nausea hit me, and I pushed myself out of Dimitri's arms, tumbling onto the grass and bringing up the food I had consumed at dinner last night.

"Make that 70% sure. I don't feel so good."

"I'm taking you back to your room, and I'll have Dr. Olendzki come up and look at you."

After Dr. Olendzki had left, leaving behind a small pack of Ibuprofen and instructions for me to take a bath and relax, I was laying with my back to Dimitri's stomach.

As it turned out I only had a bout of food poisoning, I blame that god forsaken gravy.

Dimitri kissed my neck and made small circles on my stomach, he was sure not to get his hair wet, as it would look suspicious if someone came knocking and he answered it with wet hair and me in the bath.

Which-as it turned out-happened, attempting to be as quiet and quick as possible, Dimitri dried himself off and pulled his shirt and work out pants back on.

"Princess, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if Rose was here?"

"She's in the bath at the moment, but you're all welcome to wait."

"Okay. Could you get her if she is almost done?"

The door opened slightly and I made quick to grab the bikini that always seemed to be by my bath, dunking it under water, Dimitri shot me a look of Appreciation, no more people could know about us, and him coming in here with me naked in a bath would be awkward to say the least.

"Are you alright Love?" He asked, too low for even the Moroi to hear.

"No." I gasped just in time to reach the toilet, Dimitri bent down beside me, holding back my hair and rubbing my back.

"Shh, milaya, I'm here. Shh, baby, its okay" he pulled me into his arms once I was done, tears falling down my face and throat burning.

"Lets get you dressed" he assisted me in pulling my clothes on and helping me stand as I brushed my teeth, taking my hair brush, he helped me walk into my room and settle onto my bed, my friends gathered on the bean bags and floor.

"Shit! Rose are you okay?" Mason was the first to speak, I relaxed into Dimitri as he begun to brush my hair for me.

"Yeah, food poisoning. What are you guys up to?"

"We where worried when you didn't show for any of your classes, and Dr. Olendkzi said that you where sick and that Guardian Belikov was watching over you when we went to the clinic to look for you." I smiled at them all, they where all so amazing, I don't know how they put up with me. It made me feel even more guilty for keeping my relationship with Dimitri a secret.

"May I?" He asked as he begun to pull unruly strands away from my face, I knew what he was asking, he wanted to braid my hair, I remember the first time he did it, he told me about how his mother had made him learn so that he could help her do his sisters hair when they had to go out.

"You know how to braid?" Adrian asked, smirking.

"I grew up in a house full of woman, it was bound to happen."

"You never speak very much about your self do you?"

"There is not much to tell."

"Well, you'll be my guardian soon, so you'll be hanging around with all of a lot, I don't like having my guardians hover around and be left out" also because you're dating my best friend. That last bit was unspoken between the three of us, four, if you included Adrian. "Tell us about your family." She prompted.

"I grew up in a small Dhampir community in Siberia, a days drive from Omsk. I lived with my grandmother-Yeva-my mother-Olena-and my three sisters. Karolina is the oldest of us all, she has two children, Paul, who is sixteen, and Zoya, who is five. Sonya is next, she is pregnant at the moment, four months along and already cranky according to mama." He smiled fondly at the thought of his family, he held the end of my braid in his fingers, searching for a hair tie, giving up, he pulled the one from his own hair and twisted it onto mine, strands of hair falling in his eyes. "Viktoria is the youngest, she turns seventeen next August. She hates that she is only a month older than Paul."

"Whats it like, the commune I mean?" Eddie asked.

"Its like any other town, a mix between Humans and Dhampirs, of course the more underground area of the town, where Moroi men look for Blood whores, but there is a lot of love there. It quiets down during the school year, when all the young Dhampirs are sent back off to St. Basils, All of my sisters and I all attended there, Vika is still there, much to her distaste, she wants to be a Guardian, I can thank Rose here for that, she has quite the influence on Dhampir girls becoming Guardians, stories about her and Vasilissa are quite well-known in the academy's over there, that's how my charge, Ivan, found out about the job over here looking for them, and encouraged me to take it, Vika is planning to move to St. Vladmirs soon, she wants to see more of the world, and do her senior year in America, unlike Paul, who is rather happy in Russia."

"See Comrade, even your sister agrees with me that Siberia is an arctic wasteland." There was a collection of gasps from around the room, as though they couldn't believe that I had just said that to him after he confessed his love of his country, but to their surprise he laughed fondly.

"Oh Rose, when will you ever believe me that Russia isn't an arctic wasteland?" I pretended to think about it

"Probably never"

"Well then, we'll have to fix that wont we? Maybe you'll have to come back with me one day? And see for yourself."

"I'd love that Comrade, I've always wanted to prove you wrong about something" I smiled broadly at him and he laughed, shooting me one of his Dimitri smiles, the ones that make the corner of his eyes crinkle and eyes sparkle.

_I can see why you fell in love with him , Rose. _Lissa broadcasted to me, her head spinning with thoughts about how cute we where together and how attractive Dimitri was and how lucky I was for him to love me.

"I've always known." I responded out loud to her, ignoring everyone's confused gaze at mine and Dimitri's exchange. Oh well, they'd find out soon enough.

* * *

**And there we have it folks :) some Romitri moments and more bonding with her friends [I quite like the thought of Dimitri getting along with them all, and Mason being alive]] love ya all! xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**guys! GUYS! I finally finished this! I started Wednesday at like, 8pm. But it is done and ready to be read! thank you to all the amazing people who have reviewed this, and added it to their fave's and followed it. I don't have nay words to describe how happy this makes me!**

**I realized just then that I've been forgetting a certain something in my stories. Something important. The disclaimer! so, with no further a due;**

**DISCLAIMER: I, AngelKissesAndLiveBites [Madii], have zero ownership over any of the characters. Richelle Mead. **

**Enjoy xx**

* * *

**Rose POV**.

I splashed water on my face, attempting to shake my worries about the ever looming game of truth or dare. My attempts were futile, nothing could shake my fears of Adrian opening his mouth, I knew that he was trust worthy, it was more his intoxication that was worrying to me. I had complete faith in him, when he was sober. Even when he claimed he was still coherent when under the influence, he had consumed two bottles more than usual, repressing the darkness from his and Lissa's most recent spirit lesson. Those lessons had become extensively strenuous to him, as he had recently succeeded in healing nearly fatal wounds to a pigeon the pair had found mauled by the commons.

"He isn't going to tell anyone," I told myself, staring my reflection in the eyes, wrinkling my nose as a droplet of water fell from my nose. "You're worrying over nothing. It will all be okay, he'll keep his mouth shut."

"You know talking to your self is the first sign of insanity, right?" an amused voice said from behind me.

"I thought that was talking to cats?" my eyes rose from mine to meet Adrian's emerald ones, his reflection smirking.

"Animals hate Dhampirs, they get to skip a step." he took a step closer, "Worried I'll squeal about the cradle robber?"

"Do you have to call him that?" I spun around to face him, his form standing to close to me in the cramped bathroom.

"I have a preposition for you."

"I'm not sleeping with you." came my immediate reply.

"I'm hurt." he smirked, putting on a show of mock hurt, hand over his heart and everything.

"Adrian..." I warned, picking up the curling iron from behind me and holding it threateningly.

"I want to help you. I don't like the way people talk about you, even the people out there, the ones who are supposed to be your friends. Don't you want them to know that you're not the whore everyone says you are?" that struck a nerve, I knew that rumors of my promiscuity where at large. They always where. People loved to talk. Sadly, they loved to gossip about me the most. I remember when the rumors started, I had been in year eight, a baby-faced thirteen year old, when the word of my harlot ways started.

I had always been well-known around the school, and up until then it had just been my reckless ways and fearless protection of Lissa. We'd been invited to our first party in the woods, the first party to have alcohol that a senior had smuggled us, in exchange for some kid to write in Slavic arts paper. A ninth grader, Kevin, had gate crashed it, along with his band of misfits. No one complained or tried to kick them out, we where all high on the fact that _ninth graders_ had wanted to come, to our party, popular ones at that. Why they did it I could never understand, as soon as we had reached ninth grade, eight graders had attempted to get us to come to their parties, begged even, but non of us had wanted to be seen there.

Kevin Lazar had taken an instant like to me, my more developed body showing in my short denim skirt and tight maroon skivvy. I had enjoyed kissing him, it was a rush, nothing compared to making out with a senior as a freshmen, but I had yet to know that. He hadn't been my first kiss, no that had been Eddie in the fifth grade. I hadn't protested when he had pulled me away from the party, finding a secluded log to sit on. It had been damp from the spring rain, the moss growing on it made me believe it had fallen sometime during the winter. I certainly didn't protest when his hands decided to wonder down my neck and under my shirt, cupping the underside of my breast. I had been drunk, giggling at the circles his thumb had created.

My sense had kicked in somewhere around his hand sliding under my skirt and him unzipping his jeans. I had freaked out, backing away and pulling my shirt back on. His silvery grey eyes glared at me intently, mockingly, calling me a tease and a little bitch. He had threatened me. I've always believed that I had been the first girl to turn him down, his flirtatious ways not shy news to my ears. He had told me that I was to keep quite and not tell a soul what had happened. Demanded that if anyone where to ask, I'd reply that he was 'the best'.

He had boasted about 'popping Hathaway's cherry' to his groupies and friends. The news spreading like wildfire through the school on Monday morning. That had only been the start, Moroi boys had soon discovered what had happened, bribing me to say that I had done the deed with them, or blown them behind the quad. I always felt disgusted with myself in them saying these things, and never took the bribes, but the rumours kept spreading, and soon I became a right of passage. Passed around like a joint at a party. Giving out tricks like teachers gave out gold stars. People I didn't even know existed started saying they'd done me. Lissa had known it was all lies from the start, but nothing, not even Andre's power over everyone could get them to stop, although I was sure he believed it all, considering when he told people to stop saying those things, they'd always reply the same; maybe you should tell Rose to keep her legs shut.

Kevin Lazar had never apologised for his actions, and had graduated last year. Eddie and Mason had confronted me after the Kevin disaster and demanded to know what happened, but me, still naïve and scared of Kevin's reaction if he found out I had squealed, had simply fed the two boys the same line he had told me. By the time my name had been scribbled on bathroom stalls with 'whore' in bold marker, I had wanted to take it all back. Lissa had always advised me to look on the bright side, at least everyone was saying I was 'the best lay of their life'.

"What do you want in return?" I knew better than to think he'd want nothing in return, I was giddy about the thought of crumbling fifty something guy's reputations, and they where just the ones I could name. You'd think that after the sixtieth guy, I'd become to 'common' to fake sleeping with, but no, it somehow made them still look good, and me like crap. It felt good to set the record straight, even if it where only to my friends.

"Nothing," he replied, making me raise my eyebrows in susceptibility, "Honest Rose, I just want your friendship, we've both proved to each other that our reputations aren't us. I mean, I actually am a 'slut'. But your my best friend Rose, I can always count on you. You where the first person to not fall over them selves when you heard my name, you didn't even make the connection that Tatiana is my great Aunt. I just ask for your friendship."

A tear slid from the corner of my eye, his admission meant a lot to me. He really was a great friend once you got to know him, sure he had his vices, but hell, who didn't have dirty little secrets, Adrian was the one of the few who I could trust completely. He wouldn't judge me, he's done everything I've done. Slept with a teacher? check. Alcoholic? Check. Smoked? Check. Fallen in love with a completely unattainable person? Double check. We where the same, our situations where different, but that didn't matter. His teacher had been an art teacher in college, mine Dimitri. Alcoholism, his is for darkness, mine was only borderline before Lissa and I ran away. Smoking? His were clove cigarettes, mine weed, again before we ran away. Falling in love? Mine was Dimitri once again, his was me.

I felt bad about it, but we both knew that I was a fleeting love, and that he would find the girl he was destined to be with one day. Adrian had once asked me how you knew if they where the one, my answer was simple; cliché's where no longer cliché's.

"Lets do this." I said, my voice presenting faux strength I had perfected over the years. I was sure that Adrian, like Dimitri, could tell when I was faking it. He gave me a concerned smile and left a feather light kiss on my forehead.

"Lets do this, little Dhampir" he repeated, we rejoined the circle on the floor. I sat next to Dimitri, making sure not to sit too close as to raise suspicion.

"Whoa Comrade, how did they convince you to stay?" my Rose bravado returning to me. He gave me a weak smirk. He looked tired, there where no bags under his eyes, so I took that as a sign that it was more mental and not physical. He gave me a barely noticeable nod, indicating that he was fine, simply worried. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was worrying about the same thing that made me flee to the bathroom minutes before.

"I'm supervising. Don't know what you'll get up to" he smirked, pushing his worries aside. We both trusted Adrian, we had put our faith in him keeping his mouth shut since Christmas, and after our heart to heart in the bathroom, I knew he wouldn't expose us.

"You're playing." I said, with no room for argument.

"Rose-" he pouted, silently begging me to not make him take part.

"Nope, don't even try pulling that face Dimitri Belikov. It's the rules, you supervise, you play. Just ask Alberta, she used to be our supervisor." his face never wavered from its pout. Well, I thought to my self, two can play at this game.

"Please Comrade." I asked, pulling my puppy dog eyes, even making them tear up slightly. "Please play, it would mean a lot to me. I promise to try extra hard in practice, I'll even try and be on time more." that last part was bullshit, since the cabin I had made a point of getting to practice on time. Alberta and the other guardians thought it was because of the attack, and although that played a large part of it, Dimitri and I knew it was because I didn't want to miss a single minute with him. But as long as I was on time, he didn't mind the reason behind it. That and I knew he cherished every moment with me as I did him.

"Fine. But-" he paused, placing a finger on his chin, as if trying to think of a condition, "No complaining about my music choices."

"Urgh." his music was terrible, stupid cowboy, but I really wanted him to play.

"Fine." I said, grudgingly agreeing, knowing it was worth it, "Who's going first?"

"I believe it's my turn." Mason said, reaching into the middle to spin the bottle. We did it this way to we couldn't use our personal vendetta's against people.

"Damn it! Dare." Eddie said before Mason had the time to boast.

"Body shots, one off every girl here." I groaned, reaching under my bed for shot glasses and salt. Adrian retrieved the lime and tequila. Eddie had a shit eating grin on his face, body shots had always been his favourite part of a party, that and beer pong. As vampires, we where fond of the harry potter variation humans had come up with. Harry thought it was bullshit.

The four of us lined up in the middle, lifting our shirts to just under our breasts. The guys suggested we just take them off, but I refused, reminding them that there was a guardian in the room. Dimitri had shot me a thankful look, seeing me in my underwear was one thing, but three under aged girls he wasn't sleeping with? That and I didn't think he'd cope seeing me like that around other people. We dipped our fingers into our mouths, drawing a line down the middle of our abdomen, down to just underneath the belly button, before sprinkling the salt onto there. Adrian placed the wedges in our mouths and poured the shots, handing one to each of us.

Jill was first, my friends were confused at my insistence that we invited her, seeing as she was a year younger than us. But I liked her, and we had become friends. She had evidently never done this before, as she was laughing as Eddie's tongue trailed up the line of salt. Lissa and I had done this too many times to count, and our bodies weren't strangers to Eddie and his love of body shots. I had winked in Dimitri's direction, and I saw his eyes darken slightly. No one else had noticed, he was good at hiding his true emotions, it was just luck that we could read each other like we could.

Mia was last, I had the feeling that Eddie had planned it that way. I knew that he liked her, whether it was just her body or her I didn't know, but I had seen the way he looked at her. I had also seen the way Mia looks at a Moroi guy in our one shared class; animal behaviour. I felt bad for Eddie, he deserved happiness, I knew what it was like for your world to try to find happiness with some one else, while you tried to do the same thing. Eddie took his time with the salt, quickly drowning the shot and took the lime quart from Mia's mouth. He smiled slyly when he finished.

"And that people, is how you wow four women at once!" he announced, standing to bow as we cleaned the remaining salt and Eddie's saliva from our stomachs. He spun the bottle, the lip landing two people to his right; Mia.

"Well miss Mia, what will it be?"

"Dare. I have way too many secrets for truth." she mumbled the last part, hoping that no one would hear, too bad she forgot we where all supernatural here.

"I dare you to tell us a secret. Any secret. You sleeping with Jesse and Ralf aren't secrets though." Mia blushed, scrolling through her mental index to find her least incriminating secret. Her eyes widened.

"I kinda made out with Stan once." we looked at her wide-eyed.

"Why?" Christian asked, the first to recover.

"It was a dare! Luckily he's not the most unfortunate kisser." talk about damage control.

"But he's like... old?!"

"He's only a year older than Dimitri." I said.

"Still weird. He's a teacher." was everyone's reply. Adrian looked at me with sympathy, I knew he was reading my aura. It hurt to think that my friends may not be very accepting of my relationship with Dimitri. Although he technically wasn't a teacher, he was still my instructor, my mentor, a guardian. But he was also Dimitri, my Dimitri, the one who wakes me up with feather light kisses and promises of his infamous hot chocolate. The Dimitri who would hold me when I was upset, or hole up in my room watching stupid movies on mute and parody what the characters where saying. People only saw Guardian Belikov, they didn't see the loving, fun, carefree twenty-four year old he was underneath all of that.

Mia rolled her eyes and spun the bottle, ironically landing on Dimitri.

"Dare." he shrugged, apparently not intimidated by her porcelain doll looks. Mia looked between Dimitri, my hair and the power point he was sitting beside. She stood up and ran to my bathroom, returning with an assortment of hair products, clips, ribbons and finally, my curling iron.

"Let Rose curl your hair." a grin plastered on her psycho angel face.

Reluctantly, he moved forward on the beanbag, allowing room for me to sit behind him. Shrugging off his duster, he revealed the thin black v-neck showing off his muscular chest and arms. He muttered something in Russian as I turned the iron on, dragging a brush through his hair.

"Relax Comrade. I'm just ensuring no damage comes to your hair." I soothed as he flinched, spraying thermal protection spray on his hair.

"Why is it so cold?" he asked, referring to the spray.

"No heating in my bathroom. The guardians cut it years ago when I was giving them the shits, and they never reconnected it." I begun parting his hair and clipping the sections I didn't want out-of-the-way, on a pile on the top of his head. I sprayed more product and brushed it through before making sure the curling wand was hot enough.

"Could you spin it for me, Mia?" he asked, seeming frightened to move. I laughed, remembering him telling me the story of when his sisters did this to him and Viktoria—being ten at the time—had accidentally burnt the top of his ear quite badly. I touched the scar slightly and smiled. He was so lucky, to have such a loving family. I imagined a seventeen year old Dimitri at home for break, playing with his sisters and cooking with his mother. Teaching a nine-year old Paul the new moved he had learnt that semester. Karolina screaming at him to not harm her child or he'll wake up with one less ball. I had never net his family, but he had photo's of them all in his room. The most recent being from before he became head of the search party for Lissa and I.

"Lissa. Truth or dare?"

"Truth, please" she asked timidly, the girls in the room all still a little shaken by the sight of Dimitri in a tight top.

"Most embarrassing moment?"

"Whoa Comrade, you couldn't have picked a broader subject. Considering the Dragomir family are the most poised and graceful, Lissa is a walking talking accident waiting to happen, a blush always at the ready." Lissa blushed as I teased her, poking her tongue out at me in retaliation.

"That's not very nice now, Rosie." Christian said.

"It is true though." Lissa admitted, "I don't know though. I guess if I really had to pick just one? Probably when father Andrew needed something from church attic and found me and Christian, we had been able to get dressed before he got up there, but I couldn't find my panties. He did though. In the box of old books he had needed. When he had pulled them out at the next sermon and reminded us all that 'fornication is a sin', I could have died!" we where all in tears of laughter, even Dimitri was shaking slightly. Christian looked like he wanted to die.

"That's what you get for fucking in Gods house." I smirked, Christian throwing me a dirty look.

"Jill, truth or dare?" Lissa said after spinning, attempting to get the attention off her.

"Truth."

"What's the furthest you've gone?" that was Lissa's usual response, she had a list of three dares and three truths that she rotated. She wasn't very conniving when it came to this game.

"I've only kissed." she blushed, looking down at the ground. Jill was innocent, it was one of the things that drew me towards her. She reminded me of Cas from supernatural, the way I had to explain simple innuendos and sayings to her. Her wild brown hair held the faintest tints of golden blond, and her eyes closely resembles Lissa's something that lead me to believe that one of her parents where either a Dashkov or a Dragomir. I couldn't differentiate the two eye colours, but the gold tint in her hair and soft personality lead me to believe that it was Dragomir blood running through her veins. I knew that Erik would never cheat on Rhea, but he had a brother, he hadn't spoken to him since Lissa was young. I believe Lissa had been six when she last saw her beloved uncle, we had been at the park with her family, André had been pushing us on the swings when Erik and his brother got in an argument about something. Rhea had taken the three of us to the car, giving us lollipops to keep us amused until her husband joined us.

"Christian." Jill said, smirking evilly. Like she had won the lotto of the universe. I swear, this girl was almost as good as me. Almost.

"Dare me. I'm not scared of you." cocky bastard.

"I dare you to, strip off all of your clothes, wearing nothing but a pair of frilly panties, and go down to dinner in the commons, acting as though nothing is wrong." Dimitri's hair was well and truly don by now, sitting in pretty ringlets framing his face. A giggle escaped my lips as he faced me, his eyes pained, promising revenge. Bring it, cowboy.

"Doesn't he look pretty guys?" I asked as I tied a red ribbon in his hair, I pulled my phone out, snapping a picture of his humiliation. I pressed my face next to his, a shit eating grin plastered on my face. After setting it as my wallpaper and messaging it to his phone, I jumped up and rummaged through my draws, throwing a pair of purple frilly panties with blue and pink hearts over them at Christian's face.

"Hot damn, aren't we lucky. We've got Chrissie in panties and Belikov in ringlets all in one day." Adrian smirked. It was down to the two of us, it didn't matter if Christian got me, as he would probably ask about my virtue also. Adrian would just be more classy about it.

My friends made their way out the door, me finding an excuse to be out after them. Dimitri was opting to stay inside during Christian's dare, as he didn't want to be caught dead with ringlets.

"You look hot there, Comrade." I said winking, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I think I'll have to disagree with you there, Roza." his arms snaking around my waist.

"I love you, Comrade." he replied by tilting my face up to meet his, brushing his lips against mine. I deepened the kiss, my tongue asking for entry at his lips.

"You should catch up to your friends. I don't have duty until morning. Can I stay with you tonight?" he looked slightly unsure about himself, as though he thought I was going to say no.

"When have I ever rejected you." he smiled against my lips.

"I'll see you tonight then, I love you my Roza." with one last fleeting kiss, I ran down to the commons, I had to quickly pull on a pair of jeans and a shirt, as I had been in my pyjamas. The kiss with Dimitri had loosened my braid and he helped me untangle it from its restraints.

When I arrived at the table with my friends, I noticed that Chrissie was absent, we had all only grabbed something small each, a sandwich or a yoghurt, as Adrian was having food sent up. That and we didn't want to keep Dimitri waiting.

"Where's Christian?" I asked.

"Waiting to make his grand entrance." as soon as the words left Lissa's lips, the door to the commons opened. Christian walked in, clad in nothing but the panties and his tennis shoes.

"I thought I said 'act like everything is normal'? He's so dramatic." Jill rolled her eyes. Christian was certainly attracting a lot of stares, there was an unusual glow about him. Fire magic, he was using his element to surround him in warm air, protecting little Christian from the chilly air. It also gave him a glow like the one surrounding the Jesus mosaic in the chapel. Once he had collected his slice of chocolate cake he had craved since we had begun the game.

"This is humiliating." his face twisting into a grimace as soon as he sat down.

"We know." Adrian smirked, waving his phone in the air and laughing.

"Could be worse."

"Really Rose? How? How could this possibly be worse?!"

"You could have a hairy back." he threw me a dirty look, flinging a piece of cake at my face, which successfully landed in my open mouth.

"Hathaway 1. Ozera 0. And the crowd goes wild!" Mason announced. We trailed back to my room, but not before I grabbed a hot chocolate for Dimitri. Upon second thought, I walked back to the 'self serve' coffee bar and made one for myself.

"You ready, little Dhampir?"

"As I'll ever be."

Dimitri was sprawled across my bed when we returned, flipping through one of my books on animal behaviour. I handed him his cup once he had returned to the bean bags crowding the small room. Christian spun the bottle, which thankfully landed on Adrian.

"Well Ivashkov? Truth or dare?" Adrian took his time mulling it over, pulling a flask from his jacket's inner pocket. It was a really nice flask. Much better than my battered up one from freshman year.

"Dare

"I dare you to go without alcohol for a week. Starting now." Adrian pouted.

"Good bye, my love." he held the flask out to Dimitri after one last swig. Dimitri raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want me do do with this?"

"Drink it before I do." chuckling, he took the flask and raised it to his lips.

"Za zdorov'e." he said, tilting his head back and downing what ever amount was left in the flask. He threw the flask back at Adrian.

"What?" he asked, looking at the staring people around the room.

"See guys, I told you that Dimitri isn't always hardcore Guardian Belikov. He's only twenty-four."

"You went to college? Who was your charge?" Lissa asked.

"Ivan Zeklos. Adrian was a couple of years below us, the three of us became friends at a frat party. It was a human college, low Moroi rate, so it was safe for Ivan. We where quite the group." he laughed, thinking back to his college years.

"Damn straight. Ivan would always try to get Dimitri to go off duty, but he would only agree if he had another two Guardians trailing him at all times. And when he did get off duty, he was quite the ladies man. A natural. Ivan's always been jealous, considering he has his little black book of pick up lines. Always wanted to know his secret."

"My 'secret', Ivashkov, is that I treat them with respect."

"Oh yeah, the respect that comes somewhere between high fiving us as she drags you to her dorm, and screwing the girl up against the wall, right?" Dimitri rolled his eyes.

"I didn't high-five you."

"yeah you did. Ivan got it on camera several times. Shit, you scored more than the both of us. And you were on duty most of the time. I'm not sure who's that more embarrassing for. You or Ivan and I?" I cut in before Dimitri could reply.

"You and Ivan. Dimitri's got way more game than you."

Their bickering was cut short by a knock at the door, I stood cautiously and opened the door a crack. Amelia the lunch lady stood there, holding a cardboard box of food. I passed them around before munching on my food. Chinese.

"Well, since only little Rosie is left; truth or dare."

"Truth." I said, I got some odd looks, I wasn't exactly known for my choice of truth, unlike Lissa. Adrian studied me, trying to decide the right question. On the way here from Christian's dare, we had narrowed it down to two;'how many people have you slept with' and 'when did you lose your virginity'. He opted for the latter.

"Three weeks ago." I said with confidence. Meeting the shocked stares of my friends, well, with the exception of Dimitri, Lissa and Adrian of course.

"Wait—but the rumours?" Mia stumbled.

"Not true. None of them are. Jesse was the first person to see me in a bra. And that wasn't until we came back to the academy. I'm not the whore everyone thinks I am."

"You hooked up with him?" Adrian said, slightly shocked.

"I was in a bad mood. I do stupid stuff when I'm in a bad mood."

"We know." came Lissa's reply. Mason had been silent this whole time, staring at the floor.

"Mase...?" I asked, moving over to him. He pulled me into a hug.

"I am so, so sorry Rose." his voice muffled by my hair.

"Mase. What do you have to be sorry for? You didn't do anything?"

"Yes I did. Back at the ski lodge. Remember?" something nagged at me in the back of my mind, but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me.

"Honestly Mase, not really?"

"That day we where in your room, we were making out on your bed, and you pulled away, saying that you 'couldn't do it'. I always thought that you just enjoyed stringing me along. I'm sorry Rose." understanding shot through me. That wasn't his fault. Nor was my 'frigidness' a part of that. I had pulled away because all I could think about was a certain Russian God. But they didn't know about my hot illicit love affair with my mentor.

"Mase, that's not your fault."

"Rose..." a timid male voice interrupted us.

"Yeah Ed?"

"Who? Who did you sleep with?" I closed my eyes, silently cursing Eddie's curiosity, normally it was something I loved. His curious personality had gotten us in and out of a lot of trouble over the years, it was part of the reason we were both banned from the chem lab and the home ec room. I say part because our plans where one part Eddie's curiosity, one part Masons angelic status and one part my recklessness. A very dangerous combination, one that resulted in exploding pies and singed hair.

"I can't." I mumbled.

"What do you mean you can't?! Did he force you into it!" he exploded.

"NO! Ed, its nothing like that, it's just we're not ready to come out yet."

"That's bullshit, Rose." tears welled up in my eyes, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt anyone. But I just couldn't tell them, I didn't want to get Dimitri in trouble. His job was his everything. Protecting Lissa was my everything. We both knew that even though we loved each other with everything we had, we couldn't jeopardize Lissa's safety. Eddie stood up and left the room, soon followed by everyone else, until only Lissa, Adrian and Dimitri remained, Christian stood by the door, waiting for Lissa.

"You okay?"

"I just want to be alone now. I'm sorry." the three needed and moved towards the door. Dimitri giving me a look that plainly said 'I'll be back up soon.'.

"Rose. They'll come around. They just need to realise that it's none of their damn business who you sleep with. Or love." Christian said, giving me a knowing glance before slipping out the door. Leaving me in a state of shock. I could tell through the bond that Lissa was just as shocked as I was.

One thing I knew for sure, was that somehow Christian knew about Dimitri and I, and I planned on finding out how.

* * *

**Oh o! Chrissie's stuck his nose somewhere it doesn't belong! I have a million and one ideas for this story, and most of them contradict the other. So bare with me while i jot them down and play around! **

**I am aiming to update My Comrade once a week at the least, but I am rotating my other two stories, Whilst adding another sentence or three to my 'reading VA' file, those really take a lot out of you, but I love reading them, so I shall try. good news is, that although I go back to school on Thursday, with me going into year 11 I get free periods :) so if I really buckle down during my classes [not hard considering that out of my three electives, only one is really academic. so three academics including English and math.] I will be able to keep on top of my schoolwork and write fanfictions! :D**

**It's going to be a great year! hahaha :3. kisses! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**whoo! Long time no see guys! Another chapter down, countless others to come! I'm not sure how long this story is going to be, but I do know that it is going to be longer than _Clarity_ or _Four little words_, as i have way more idea's for this one! Clarity was originally going to only be really short, like 5 chapters, but i have been getting more ideas for it :D**

**Thank you guys for the reviews/alerts/faves, you're all the best!**

**Happy valentines day for yesterday! [or today if you're from somewhere where today is the 14th!]**

* * *

**ROSE POV**

"Excuse me Princess, Headmistress Kirova needs to speak with Rose"

Lissa shot me a look "Why? I haven't done anything wrong!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sure it is nothing bad Rose" he assured me, dragging me away from my place next to Lissa in my Animal behavior class, with a quick word to my teacher he walked me to the witches office, taking the back passages that only the staff and a select number of lavish troublemakers knew of.

"Do you know why she wants to see me?" I asked Dimitri, things where going great between us, we where pretty brilliant at sneaking around, and had got even more daring at it, he had begun to drag me into small alleyways and gaps between buildings whilst I was on the way to class, claiming that he couldn't wait until training to be with me and kiss me. I'll admit, when I first got together with Comrade, I had never expected him to be any kind of romantic or sappy, but I had been wrong, he said that he felt bad that he couldn't give me what we both wanted, to be able to take our relationship public and to be accepted, and to make up for that he would bring me flowers randomly, sometimes he would bring then by hand and others he with would have them sent to me in the middle of class or lunch.

"Sorry, I haven't been told" he brushed a loose piece if hair back into his pony tail, clearly giving away that he was lying, I gave a slight 'Humph' indicating that I knew he was bullshitting me, he gave me a slight side glance, but otherwise said nothing.

"Headmistress Kirova will see you now" Lady Dashkov said to Dimitri as we approached her desk. Lady Dashkov was one of the few royals I knew who actually worked instead of sitting back on their family's fortune and watching it grow in carefully picked investments. Albeit, unlike other royals who did actually work, she didn't pick an easy job , I mean come on, she is the secretary for _Kirova. _That in its self must be torture in its self.

"Rosemarie, it is lovely to see you." Kirova greeted "thank you for bring Rose here in such short notice, Guardian Belikov."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, why the hell am I here?" Dimitri cut me a look, but Kirova simply smiled, she was immune to my smart ass ways by now, in fact I am pretty sure she got used to my behavior after she understood why I did it, it used to be because I had figured out that when I got in trouble my mother would actually take time out of her day to pay attention to me, even if it was being angry at me, now I just did it because it was fun.

"Of course Novice Hathaway" I loved being called that, it was a law passed under the title decree a few years ago, because Novices where kicking up a stink about how we got no recognition when we had to call all Moroi royals by their title, whether they where in school still or not, you can see where we where all coming from though, it sucked meeting a Moroi royal and being all 'hello Lord Conta' and have only your last name thrown at you, even if you where the same age. "It has come to my attention, that even though you helped with a major break through on the Massacre a few months back that killed Arthur Schoenberg, you never officially got to take your qualifier, because of this, Guardian Belikov will be taking you to a facility to sit it, you will be leaving after dinner and will stay in a hotel for two nights, returning to the academy late in the Moroi day Friday, you will be leaving after dinner, here is your itinerary and bookings. Oh-I almost forgot Guardian Belikov, you will be picking up your family from the airport on your way back to the academy, they will be arriving at 6pm. You are dismissed"

Dimitri and I walked out of there in a daze, I was going to be taking my qualifier. Fuck. And Dimitri's family would be coming to visit, double fuck. And I would be arriving an hour before the Dragomir's annual 'Happy birthday Rose' dinner, they held one for every member of the family, and I faintly remember crying at my first one, I had been six, only knowing Lissa for five months, and the Dragomir's even less. I had attended both Lissa and Erik's, and not yet knowing that Andre's birthday wasn't until October, Lissa had tricked me into thinking that it was his we would be attending. I hadn't suspected a thing as I hadn't told them when my birthday was, as not wanting them to feel obliged, but apparently Erik had asked Alberta for my birthday and had thrown me one. This year they where holding it a month early, as Andre had college and Erik and Rhea would be in England for a banquet with the royal family over there. Yup, good ole Queen Elizabeth the something was part of the Moroi family, Badica's I believed.

"I will meet you at your room tonight. Take the rest of the day off to pack, Lissa is excused also, as I believe she has your dress for Friday?" I nodded.

"Can I borrow your phone? Mine is flat." He nodded and handed me his phone, he had an old broken down flip phone for ages until Lissa noticed and demanded that he upgraded, Dimitri, wanting to hold onto his beloved phone had kindly refused, but Lissa being Lissa had ignored him and brought him a Samsung galaxy. He still had troubles with it. My comrade was many things, but good with technology he was not.

I opened up Lissa's contact, and sent her a quick message, telling her to meet me in my room. Dimitri went to get her, as he decided that a text I wrote from his phone didn't count as written permission. Rolling my eyes I walked to my room, adding an extra sway to my hips as I walked away, I could feel his eyes burning into my back as I left.

Less than ten minutes later, Lissa walked into my room where I was sitting in front of my wardrobe, attempting to pack my stuff, she had a dress bag in hand as well as a small shoe box. Silently she placed the items into my bag as I threw an assortment of jeans and workout clothes into my bag, along with my toiletries. I had also snuck a pack of those glow in the dark condoms in there when she wasn't looking, you never what might happen, Zen master Dimitri may just be up for experimenting.

"You'll be fine" Lissa said, noticing my nervous glances at the clock every five seconds.

"It's not that, I know I will be fine for my qualifier, it is Friday I'm worried about"

"Your birthday dinner?"

"No. Dimitri's family is coming here, we're picking them up on the way back to the academy." Lissa's eyes widened, recalling when she had introduced Christian to her family for the first time. It had been at Christmas, and they had known that we where hanging out with Christian, but they didn't know that Lissa was dating him. So imagine their surprise when they walked into the room we where practicing spirit in and found the two of them snogging with me and Adrian glaring and begging them to stop and get a room.

"Do they know about the two of you?" I shook my head.

"As far as they know I am his student and that he is possibly gay" Lissa let out a giggle.

"Why gay?"

"Because apparently he never brought a girl home to meet them, it was that or asexual. But he worked out too much for that, so they went with gay" Lissa giggled again, she may be my best friend, but I knew that it was slightly uncomfortable for her to know that I was with an older guy, especially one who was also her guardian, even if it wouldn't be for much longer, the paper work was still being run through.

"Really Rose?!" She exclaimed, pulling out the condoms and panties from my bag, I shrugged, laughing as she recoiled from my bag, throwing the items in my direction.

"Come on, you'll be late." And with that she grabbed my bag, shoving the 'unmentionables' into it before stalking out of my door.

When we arrived at the garage to find Dimitri leaning against a Subaru Liberty. I let out a sound of relief, thank god it wasn't a bloody Honda.

"Hey Comrade, how are we going to pick your family up in this thing, there is five seats and nine of us."

"We're swapping cars at your qualifier, it has ten seats, so we will be fine." I nodded and hugged Lissa good-bye.

"Good luck" She said, it took me a moment to realize that she was directing it towards Dimitri and not me. He raised his eyebrow.

"I'll need it" he smirked at me, before pulling me to him and kissing my forehead, risky considering that we where in the academy's garage, where any guardians or visiting Moroi could walk in at any moment, and the guardians manning the entry's and security room could easily spot us, but Dimitri was too exited about seeing his family to care, or maybe it was the idea of being alone in a hotel room with me that made him happy, who new when it came to him.

The drive to the hotel we where staying at took several hours, as it was on the other side of Missoula, we would have to drive an extra hour to reach the house where I would be tested. But that wasn't until tomorrow.

"You're going to be fine, Roza" Dimitri said, as though he was reading my mind. It was surreal how we both seemed to know what was going on in each others heads.

"Promise?" I asked in a small voice.

"I promise." he replied.

Slipping into Lissa's head, I found her attentively reviewing her noted for Moroi history. Christian was sitting opposite her looking bored, his math text-book open to a random page as he doodled on a text-book. There was no graffiti on the library tables, that was reserved for the bathroom walls and classroom tables, especially Stan's.

Dimitri had booked two rooms, not that the other would be used. We had no qualms in sharing a room, let alone a bed. We where together after all. But the school didn't know that. And since Dimitri was both a 'teacher' and a male, he had to book two. Luckily the school was paying for them, other wise he'd be very out-of-pocket. The hotel wasn't five-star, but it wasn't a five dollar motel either.

I was nervous about tomorrow, my last qualifier hadn't exactly turned out well, but all of my bad thoughts drifted away as Dimitri's lips met mine.

* * *

**Okay, I know this was a bit short, but they will get longer/better :)**

**love you all! xx!**

**P.s, Who has seen the VA movie? I still have to wait three weeks :'( **


End file.
